Samuel Elmer Jett was born in Jefferson City, Tennessee, the son of John Daniel Jett and Lainie Castile. He was married to Mary Jean Liberato.
He served with 380th Bomber Group, 529th Bomber Squadron
Aircrafth B-24 with serial number 42-41133 in Bay approximately 1 ½ miles off the coast of Lae, New Guinea after takeoff on a combat mission on 5 March 1944. His body was never recovered.
Crew members
Pilot T/Sgt Michael Diagostino
Co-Pilot, S/Sgt Joseph A. Bambino
Radio Operator-Mechanic Gunner, S/Sgt Richard J. Corey
Armorer Gunner, S/Sgt Samuel E. Jett
S/Sgt Benjamin H. Lyons
Memorialied at Manila American Cemetery.
The Knoxville Journal, June 24, 1942
Samuel E. Jett, son of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Jett Sr. was a Central High boy and graduated from Tennessee Military Institute at Sweetwater. He played football at both schools. His first assignment in the Army, which he joined at Fort Dix, N.J., was gunnery training. He is now a student bombardier at Geiger Fields, and has almost completed his current course.
The Knoxville News-Sentinel, 23 December 1944
Memorial services will be held at Central Baptist Church of Bearden for the only two war casualties from that church to date. Service will honor Staff Sgt. Samuel E. Jett and Pfc. William Clarence Lambert. Sgt. Jett, a bombardier with the Fifth Army Air Forces in the Southwest Pacific, was killed March 5 at Lae, New Guinea. He was awarded the Army Air Forces Citation of Honor and the Purple Heart posthumously, and his wife, Mrs. Mary Jean Jett, was presented the Air Medal at Selfridge Field, Mich. He attended CHS and Tennessee Military Institute. He was 31. Pfc. Lambert was killed in action in Italy Sept. 17, after serving in the Army a year.
- Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Date of birth: 23 March 1912
- Date of death: 5 March 1944
- County: Knox
- Hometown: Knoxville
- Service Branch: Army/Army Air Forces
- Division/Assignment: 529th Bomber Squadron, 380th Bomber Group, Heavy
- Theater: Pacific
- Conflict: World War II
- Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart
- Burial/Memorial Location: Manila American Cemetery, Fort Bonifacio, Manila, Philippines
- Location In Memorial: Pillar XIV, Bottom Panel
- Contact us to sponsor Samuel E. Jett
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